Because so little is known about it, and it is very seldom-occurring, there are currently not many practical uses for white carbon. It has been reported to be extremely soft for a carbon product. In the future, however, more applications may be found: graphite is already a cheaper alternative to boron fibers, and white carbon, if it gets developed, may be a replacement for this. Confusingly, boron nitrite, which is used in sports equipment, is sometimes called 'white graphite'.